You didn’t think the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens would play a meaningless Thanksgiving night game, did you? One of the AFC North archrivals will emerge from Thursday’s game continuing to make the rest of the conference nervous.

Both the Steelers (27-11 over the Browns) and Ravens (19-3 over the Jets) cruised to dominant defensive victories in Week 12, making their Week 13 matchup in Baltimore huge. The Jets and Dolphins both lost on Sunday, and the Titans and Chargers both won, so there’s now a massive 5-6 pileup in the crazy race for the AFC’s second wild-card playoff spot.

The obvious reason is that they are recent Super Bowl champions with Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco. But as we’ll see in another black and blue, hard-hitting affair coming off a short week, it’s the Steelers’ and Ravens’ sheer mental and physical toughness that are such huge assets at this time of the year.

Those other four teams in the mix? None has ever been there or done that with their current coach and quarterback combination. Mike Tomlin and Roethlisberger have taken over with no-nonsense focus to restore the Steelers’ mettle. Flacco and John Harbaugh have been able to produce a playoff victory in all five seasons they have been together. The Steelers went into this difficult season 27-21 on the road with Tomlin; the Ravens have won six away playoff games under Harbaugh.

While Roethlisberger is in a groove carrying his offense, Flacco is about to get more help leading his (Dennis Pitta).

Given the steady success both franchises have had, they don’t just handle adversity; they look it in the face and push it back. The AFC North title belongs to the Bengals, but they of all teams will want to avoid playing the Steelers or Ravens a third time. The Broncos, Patriots and Colts are all aware what the Ravens can do – see last year’s playoffs.

Consider Thursday to be a de facto playoff game. The Steelers survive and they can get a key jump with three of their final four games at home. They also will have a sweep of the Ravens that puts the reigning champs on the brink. The Ravens win, and the Steelers will be a game behind with a lingering Week 1 loss to the Titans.

That’s the nature of former champs; until they get knocked out for good, they will keep showing fight. At least the rest of the AFC knows both the Ravens and Steelers won’t be in the playoffs. Just one is handful enough.

What shocked us in Week 12

It was a lot.

The Chiefs’ offense has that big breakout, right when their defense has a big breakdown. What happened without their pass rush against Philip Rivers will leave a mark with Peyton Manning (again), Andrew Luck and Rivers (again) still coming.

The Texans officially have gone from first to worst in the AFC South. Back-to-back home losses to Oakland and Jacksonville are the painful nails in a nine-game losing streak. Gary Kubiak is done.

The Buccaneers don’t stop at two. They have won three consecutive games, and this time, got it done in Detroit. Mike Glennon is a keeper. Greg Schiano might now be, too.

The Colts come up lame. They’re lucky (no pun intended) the AFC South is theirs by default. Super Bowl contenders don’t dry up in the desert. The Cardinals are really good, but not 40-11 good against a team that beat San Francisco, Seattle and Denver. That reminds us, stir up that Bruce Arians coach of the year talk (again).

That Bears (lack of) defense. Remember when Lovie Smith coached it, Brian Urlacher played for it, and Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman were both healthy? The current “Monsters of the Midway” played like a bunch of Elmos in St. Louis.

Tony Romo is pretty darn good in the fourth quarter. Wait, we didn’t already know this, given his 101.5 fourth-quarter passer rating, the best mark among all active quarterbacks? He’s also 25-6 in November, by the way. STEELE: Romo clutch down the stretch

Game balls

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers. He went 27-of-39 for 392 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-38 shootout victory over the Chiefs on the road against a tough defense, picking a great time to finish a close game.

Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart, RBs, Vikings. Their combined 40 carries produced 237 yards in the 26-26 deadlock with Green Bay. And you thought the Packers’ backup quarterbacks were the problem.

Tiquan Underwood, WR, Buccaneers. The kid with the Kid ‘n’ Play haircut had a house party in Ford Field, motoring past the Lions’ defense for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns – on three catches. None of them came on a high-top fade route.